Margherita

The fascinating story of Pizza, a beloved dish worldwide, traces back to Naples, the ancient capital of the Campania region in southwestern Italy. This city is often called the City of Pizza, as the world's first pizza is believed to have originated here.

The Birth of Pizza in Naples: From Poor Man's Food to a Baking Symbol

In the past, Naples was one of the major cities on the Italian peninsula, experiencing significant economic prosperity and a dense population. However, its economy eventually declined, leading to an era of widespread poverty. People struggled to find decent food, enduring plain bread day after day. Finally, they came up with the idea of topping thin bread with cheap herbs and spices, baking it in a wood-fired oven, and serving it simply. This became the world's first pizza, called Pinsa in Italian, meaning "bread," which later evolved into Pizza.

Archaeological evidence further links pizza's origins to Naples. The discovery of ancient wood-fired ovens within the ruins of Pompeii, the ancient city engulfed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, located just 23 kilometers from Naples, shows traces of baked bread. This confirms that Romans baked bread in wood-fired ovens since that time. Therefore, it is hypothesized that Neapolitans might have been influenced by the Roman tradition of oven-baked bread in ancient Rome.

Margherita: From Dishdained Food to Royal Pizza

Historically, pizza was once viewed as food for the poor, even derided as sewer bread and disgusting. However, in the late 19th century, a significant transformation began, elevating pizza from a poor man's meal to a revered dish of the Italian monarchy. This occurred when King Umberto I and Queen Margherita, the rulers of Italy at the time, visited Naples, which had previously been the capital of the southern kingdom.

Upon arriving in Naples, Queen Margherita expressed a desire to taste the local cuisine of the Neapolitans. She summoned Raffaele Esposito, the most renowned pizza maker in Naples at the time. She then instructed him to create three types of pizza, with the requirement that they be fresh and vibrantly colored.

With this challenge, Raffaele wasted no time. He developed three pizza variations to present to the Queen. The first was Pizza Marinara, and the second was Pizza Napoli. It is said that these two pizzas did not impress the Queen. However, the third variation, Pizza Margherita, named after the Queen, became her absolute favorite. This pizza featured vibrant colors and a fresh taste derived from tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese. It is believed that the colors on Pizza Margherita were inspired by the colors of the Italian flag: green, white, and red.

Pizza Margherita: An Italian Culinary Icon on the Global Stage

Over time, Pizza Margherita gained immense popularity in Naples, and its fame soon spread to other cities throughout Italy, becoming a symbol of Italian culinary excellence. Almost every restaurant in Italy now features Pizza Margherita as a staple on their menu.

Subsequently, Pizza Margherita's reputation began to spread to other parts of the world as Italian immigrants carried their culinary traditions with them. Today, Pizza Margherita remains one of the most popular and globally recognized pizzas, celebrated for its simplicity and the harmonious balance of flavors from fresh red tomatoes, creamy white mozzarella, and aromatic green basil.